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by Dee Allen, Joseph Bolden, Queennandi Xsheba, Jewnbug, Luis, Vivian Hain, Dharma, Ruyata
ATA Carpool Journal
What a wondrous, strange, annoying, oddly fascinating trip it was. So
much could've gone wrong didn't, others so predictable was laughable
if wasn't so intense at the time. Minor problems began with logistics
of travel I, Joseph of Ask /Tell Joe POOR Magazine columns, KPFA, and
Pirate radio, formally houseless, jobless, minor guess part in welfareQUEENS' play. (no where near famous) was to go alone by bus,
others by plane, and 10 person Van. Because of economic hardships I end up in a 10 seat van.
We were departing San Francisco at 10 am Saturday, June, 23rd I'm infamous at POOR for missing assignments, being late, or getting totally lost
on news assignments. To prevent this the night before my backpack, a
travel bag donated by my mother are filled with clothes, toiletries,
extra shoes, even a can opener plus a water bottle with ice. With
monies from my resent Clerk job by way of S.H.EC. [Supportive
Housing Employment Collaborative] by way of Housing Activist Mr.
James, Tracy donates hundred dollars which helped immensely.
On time,
ready, doors open for fellow and female passengers. A customer using
the van we were to use forgets placing the two seats and our two
driver's Mr. Anulfo, and Laura Yaya, went to Fresno/Colma for
reseating van.
It delays our departure by two hours making us leave at 11am or later.
We stop in Bay Veiw Hunter's Point to pick up Bay View newspapers to
distribute at the U.S. Social Forum in Atlanta, Georgia. They've
thrown down for us with our stories we're return the favor throw
down for them. It’s all good.
We rode out with tunes of Paris and Public Enemy"reality rap CD's
spitting angry, logical, conscious knowledge rap in Dolby surround
sound stereo from front to rear. This is going to be interesting
trip, I thought to myself.
Ms. Laura, Ya ya one of our two intrepid drivers had been driving for
four or 4 or 5 straight hours is tired and needs to rest. Mr. Anulfo
takes over as Ms. Ya ya before sleep had been documenting the early
start of our trip with video-voice, and quickie interviews of the trip
much will be edited out and some of the bloopers saved for posterity.
Micky D's, Carl Jr.'s eateries are the places Yaya, Anulfo, Louis,15,
Marcus,7, Theresa, Dee, Allen, Ruyate, myself(Joseph), Queennandi,
I'm not hungry. In fact from the week before I've been feelin' ill and
queasy on and off constant fighting dehydration by drinking and
pouring water all over me.
Drinking vitamin water don't cut if only cold or ice water works in
the days heat.
We're in Lost Hills? 4:32pm We drove through a town named Boron, a chemical compound on the periodic table.
10:28 pm we are in Arizona. In a motel our van's right side has
green/yellow paint streaks on it from another car's swipe. I didn't
see it until the next morning. I don't know the motel's name but it
has a pool and I before going for a swim I shower, do some swimming in
the pool with Kim, Ruyate, Louis, Marcus, and were others not known to
me. 10 am we're on the highway at 11am breakfasting in Denny's
Restaurant at 12:05 again riding through the Arizona Desert. 1:40 pm
or so Mr. Rayata and Ms. Kim have heated Afro/Euro,
multicultural/parallel socioeconomic argument by 2pm it cools.
We
arrive in New Mexico 4:40 pm. A sign painted red, green, chili
peppers says " Welcome to New Mexico, Land of Enchantment ". Across the
street and highway is Navajo Nation with stores, gas stations teepees,
and mountains, trading posts. 7pm stopped in Edgewood a city in New
Mexico for restroom breaks before hitting the road again. 11:31 pm
Texas, then Arkansas 9:45 am Drove through Clinton, stopped in Hillin?
A blue and White patrol car rode by us. 1:44 pm in Tennessee, 4pm
Alabama, " Alabama, The Beautiful " the sign reads as we enter the state
Ms. Laura, Ya ya, video-ing all that can be seen. We're ahead by a
day! Quick, weird weather patterns. Five minutes in heavy rain, heavy
fog in two minutes. Strange riding through Beautiful Alabama.
4:30 pm
rain on our side of highway dry on other side strange and weird
indeed! 6:05 am as usual missed an important recording but I cannot be
everywhere. The historic 7th street Baptist Church, a motorcycle cop
rode by. The Birmingham Museum where I and school children see, hear, through audio and print media Finally a knowledgeable
citizen on a bike schools me on historical aspects in Birmingham. 3
This story is in progress and will be continued…
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